ICS Daily Devotions
Make Righteousness a Reality
Hebrews 11:4-6 (NKJV) By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Your understanding of what pleases God will determine whether righteousness is a religion or a reality in your life. If you believe that one will never be able to please God, Christianity is a religion to you. On the other hand, if you believe that Jesus has purchased an eternal redemption for you through the shedding of His blood, caused you to be accepted in the beloved and come into a position of rest from dead works, an intimate relationship with God becomes possible. Because righteousness is a reality for you, you can have rest and peace in the presence of God.
The emphasis of a religion rather than a relationship has contributed to the decline of Christianity in many parts of the world, by making one feel that they are never good enough in the sight of God, and by laying on them the futile and impossible burden to perform in order to please God. Even if it is taught as a relationship, as many of us are used to earning someone’s love and acceptance, we find it hard to rest and have faith in God’s unmerited favour. Therefore, we should preach the Gospel to ourselves daily so that we will continue to rest in God’s presence through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
We will live very differently once we are aware of what Christ has done for us, and that the same Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us and empowers us to live godly lives. It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ that enables us to have a continuous relationship with God. If we are comfortable in God’s presence, we will be able to connect our faith with Him.
God is pleased when we have faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, because He is the one who initiated the plan of salvation to restore our relationship with Him by giving us Christ’s righteousness.
Sermon Series: What Pleases God (Part 3) (Righteousness: Religion or Reality?)
